The current study investigated the mechanisms underlying peer contagion of depressive
symptoms in adolescence. Five annual measurements of data were gathered from a large
(N ¼ 842) community-based network of adolescents (M ¼ 14.3 years at first measurement).
Results showed that, after controlling for selection and deselection of friends
on the basis of depressive symptoms, peers’ depressive symptoms predicted increases
in adolescents’ depressive symptoms over time. Failure anticipation mediated effects
of peers’ depressive symptoms on adolescents’ depressive symptoms, particularly for
girls. Thus, results suggest that peers’ depressive symptoms place adolescents at risk
of developing depressive symptoms through increasing in failure anticipation.